Their codes forbade them to kill
but I knew that they hired men of other castes for this purpose. Priest Kings of
Gor, page 297

The initiates are an almost
universal, well-organized, industrious caste. They have many monasteries, holy
places and temples. An initiate may often travel for hundreds of pasangs, and,
each night, find himself in a house of initiates. They regard themselves as the
highest caste, and in many cities, are so regarded generally. There is often a
tension between them and the civil authorities, for each regards himself as
supreme in matters of policy and law for their district. The initiates have
their own laws, and courts, and certain of them are well versed in the laws of
the initiates. Their education, generally, is of little obvious practical value,
with its attention to authorized exegeses of dubious, difficult texts,
purporting to be revelations of Priest-Kings, the details and observances of
their own calendars, their interminable involved rituals and so on, but
paradoxically, this sort of learning, impractical though it seems, has a subtle
practical aspect. It tends to bind initiates together, making them
interdependent, and muchly different from common men. It sets them apart, and
makes them feel important and wise, and specially privileged. There are many
texts, of course, which are secret to the caste, and not even available to
scholars generally. In these it is rumoured there are marvellous spells and
mighty magic, particularly if read backwards on certain feast days. Whereas
initiates tend not to be taken with great seriousness by the high castes, or the
more intelligent members of the population, except in matters of political
alliance, their teachings and purported ability to intercede with Priest-Kings,
and further the welfare of their adherents, is taken with great seriousness by
many of the lower castes. And many men, who suspect that the initiates, in their
claims and pretensions, are frauds, will nonetheless avoid coming into conflict
with the caste. This is particularly true of civil leaders who do not wish the
power of the initiates to turn the lower castes against them. And, after all,
who knows much of Priest-Kings, other than the obvious fact that they exist. The
invisible barrier about the Sardar is evidence of that, and the policing, by
flame death, of illegal weapons and inventions. The Gorean knows that there are
Priest-Kings. He does not, of course, know their nature. That is where the role
of the initiates becomes most powerful, The Gorean knows there are Priest-Kings,
whoever or whatever they maybe. He is also confronted with a socially and
economically powerful caste that pretends to be able to intermediate between
Priest-Kings and common folk. What if some of the claims of Initiates should be
correct? What if they do have influence with Priest-Kings? Marauders of Gor,
page 28,29

Incidentally, it is a teaching of
the initiates that only initiates can obtain eternal life. The regimen for doing
this has something to do with learning mathematics, and with avoiding the
impurities of meat and beans. This particular teaching of the initiates, it is
interesting to note, is that least taken seriously by the general population.
The Gorean feeling generally is that there is no reason why initiates or only
initiates, should live forever. Initiates, though often feared by lower castes,
are also regarded as being a bit odd, and often figure in common, derisive
jokes. No female, incidentally, may become an Initiate. It is a consequence,
thusly, that no female can obtain eternal life. I have often thought that the
Initiates, if somewhat more clever, could have a much greater power than they
possess on Gor. For example, if they could fuse their superstitions and lore,
and myths, with a genuine moral message of one sort or another, they might
appeal more seriously to the general population: if they spoke more sense people
would be less sensitive to, or disturbed by, the nonsense; further, they should
teach that all Goreans might, by following their rituals, obtain eternal life;
that would broaden the appeal of their message, and subtly utilise the fear of
death to further their projects; lastly, they should make greater appeal to
women than they do, for, in most Gorean cities, women, of one sort or another,
care for and instruct the children in the crucial first years. That would be the
time to imprint them, while innocent and trusting, at the motherís or nurseís
knee, with superstitions which might, in simpler brains, subtly control then the
length of their lives. So simple an adjustment as the promise of eternal life to
women who behaved in accordance with their teachings, instructing the young and
so on, might have much effect. But the initiates, like many Gorean castes, were
tradition bound. Besides, they were quite powerful as it was. Most Goreans took
with some seriousness their claim to be able to placate and influence
Priest-Kings. That was more than they needed for considerable power. Marauders
of Gor, page 29, 30

The only Gorean caste which, as far
as I know, officially believes in an afterlife is that of the Initiates, and
they believe in it, it seems, only for themselves, and seem to believe it is
connected with such things as the performance of secret rites, the acquisition
of secret knowledges, mostly mathematical, and the avoidance of certain foods.
Initiates commonly wear white and have their heads shaved. They also,
supposedly, and perhaps actually, on the whole, abstain from alcohol and women.
They count as one of the five high castes, the others being the Physicians,
Scribes, Builders and Warriors. In some cities they are quite powerful, in
others it seems they are largely peripheral to the life of the community. I have
never been in one of these temples. Slaves, like other animals, are not allowed
within. It is felt they would defile such places. They may wait, however, in
special, small, walled areas outside the temples, usually at the back or sides,
where their presence will not prove distractive or offensive to free persons. I
have looked within some of these temples, from the street, through great opened
doors, or through the open colonnades, such temples being roofed, but not
walled, upon occasion. Some are lavishly decorated, even ornately; others seem
very austere. It depends on the city, I suppose, or the tastes of the community
of Initiates, those who care for the temples, in a given place. The Chief
Initiate of Ar claims to be chief of all the Initiates of all the cities, but
the other Chief Initiates, in the other cities, do not, it seems, at least on
the whole, acknowledge this claim. I have gathered that in these temples there
are no chairs or pews, or such, unless for Initiates near the altars. Goreans
perform their rites, recite their prayers, and such, standing. The Gorean tends
to regard Priest-Kings not so much as his masters as his potential allies, who
might, if he is lucky, be flattered, wooed with gifts, and such. On the high
altar in each temple there is supposedly a large, golden circle, the symbol of
Priest-Kings, a symbol of eternity, of a thing without beginning or end. The
"sign of the Priest-Kings," similarly, is made with a closed, circular motion.
The teachings of the Initiates, their recommendations, exhortations, and such,
seem to b taken most seriously by the lower castes. Dancer of Gor, page 279, 280

A free woman drew back her robes,
hastily, frightened, lest they touch an Initiate. It is forbidden for Initiates
to touch women, and, of course, for women to touch them. Initiates also avoid
meat and beans. A good deal of time, I gather, is devoted to sacrifices,
services, chants, prayers, and the perusal of mystic lore. By means of the study
of mathematics they attempt to purify themselves. Magicians of Gor, page 17

I did not
scorn the lad for noticing her. If anything, I was pleased that he had. It made
him seem a little more human. To be sure, I supposed that he had best watch his
step. Too, she had best watch hers. Though she was now a free woman, she was a
stripped captive, and would doubtless soon be slave. If he became involved with
her I had little doubt that it would not be he, but it would be she,
particularly if she were a slave, who would be found at fault. In such a case I
do not think any of her sisters in bondage would envy her. But perhaps he would
leave the case before it was too late, if it were not already too late, before,
say, he took his final vows, or performed whatever act or acts t might be by
means of which his entry into the caste might be effected. Perhaps, before he
became much older, he would come to understand that there were two sexes,
really, and that they are formed by nature, each in its own way, for the other.
The caste of Initiates, incidentally, provides a socially acceptable refuge for
men who may not wish, for one reason or another, to relate to women. It is
probably a kindness for a society to provide mercies of this sort. This
observation is not intended to reflect on the caste as a whole. It is my
surmise, incidentally, that the great majority of Initiates, for better or for
worse, abide by, and respect, the regulations of their caste. Witness of Gor,
page 427, 428